Bread slicing machine



.Jm 1939- y H. J." cRlNER 2,160,957

BREAD SLICING MACHINE I Fl N 14, 1958 `2 sheets-sh et 1 1 2 OV Z0 4 l /2 n 1 f2 l I 1NVENTOR.

7 Hy] BY ATTORNEYS:

June 6, 1939. 'H'. J. CRINER 2,160,957

BREAD SLICING MACHINE Fi'ledNQv. 14, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 MINVENTOR.

ATTORNEKSl Patented June e, 193e 2,160,957

uNlTEo STAT-Es PATENT oFF-ice -BRIEAD SHCING Harry J. Crimen,.Dayenport,1owa,.assignor of onehalf to .A. G. Bush, Davenport, Iowa Application Npnemher 14, 1938, Serial No. 240,237

` Claims. (Cl. 146-88.)

My yinvention relates primarily toibreadslic-ing Fig-ure 7 is a side elevation of' one of the sleeves machines oftheendless'band-blade type although partly in Ysectionto show the seat r2 5.; it may also be applied to yother uses and may lin Fig-ure isa side Ielevation of Aone of the spacing part be'applied to reciprocating slicing machines. rings partly insection;

5 The objects of my invention are to provide Figure =9 is a detail of .the washer Y2li inserted '5 an improved `method and .apparatus whereby `the the seat 22" or' A.the spacing ring 22; cutting courses of -thebliades of a multiplie `loand.- Figure 1.0v is-.an `edge viewof one of the Washers blade machine are carried approximately finto Z8 the required spaced cutting Aposition by the -mul- Similar numerals reter vto similar .parts l() tiple pulleys or drums which car-ry the blades so throughout the several v-iews. 10 that very little pressure will be requiredfupon My apparatus in 'its preferred form comprises the blades to twist the blades inte parallel posia vertical side trame ZI VTl-'.sl 1aped in section and tion at right angles to the travel- Iof the loaves having a 'base 1 With feet 3 v 3Xterldill laterally of bread, vand toprovide improved twisting and therefrom.V "The band-'blades '21 are .carried by E5 guiding means to cooperate lwith such pulleys in pulleys If-'I and-'I2 upon shafts fil: and lief-mounted in 1'5 guiding the cutting courses of the blades-during bosses31and- 4 formed integral with the .frame Il. the slicing operation; to provide lsuchI apparatus 'Intermediate bosses 5. and 6 are united to'lthe in a ferm which willy permit the spacing devices trarne- "l approximately midway between the pulte be made having a minimum width and the leysandfspaed apar-t approximately the height 2"() greatest practicable spread in proportion to their of a loaf of the bread which the machine is deidtlfl, so that a single series of Aspacers Amay be Signed to slice. utilized to guide and space at a given height .all lin these intermediate hubs V5- and 6 tubular of the cutting courses of al'l the usual plurality of 'arms 113 and I4 are lrem-@valoir mG-unted and fSeband-blades n-common'usein-band-blad'e-slicers; curedby set screws I5 .and 16 respectively. Slidto provide such a machine utilizing spacers Yof not ingl-y mounted iin ytl-1e upper arm 't3 is va series to exceed three-eighths of 4an inch and a possible of spacing .rings 22 leaving united thereto ngers spread between spacers of at least loneq11arter 119 having their inner ends t9 fitted to. the of an inch, thus permitting the slicing et -bre-ad ringsv 22 iby press-nt or .other suitable means.

i-n slices from three-eiglrthsof Ian -lnch inthi'ck- The 'fingers *|19 wie provided Wt'll SOS l`9 0f ness up to slices of -ve-'eigh-ths cf an inch `in vsufficient depth t0 embrace and Quid-6th@ Cutting thickness and of any intermediate thickness. courses of the blades.

Other objects will appear the following -de- The pulleys Il and l2 are spaced .apart :and scription. l mounted with 'their horizon-tal axes in .parallc-el I attain these objects bythe means illustrated planes, but 4HSteald 0f 15h@ ELXBS Of 1165@ @111116515 '35 in the accompanying drawings, in which, lying 'in the same vertical plane, they Me S0 al @5 Figure l is a front elevation- -of my machine 1rangedthat the Center DOHS 0f 100th pllfll'eysjllle referring to the left of Figure 2 as the front, in a single lille GXBHdIlS at Fight anglSS w the but showing only a part of the band-blades; Y afOTBVSad plal'leS- Y n Figure 2 is e side elevation but with au thev y lfm this dQSCIiDtOn I @lm leI-@frmg t@ e ma' 40 `blades .except one omitted for clearness and' @hmge' m' Wrfch the supportmg frame I extends 4@ showing a fraction er the discharge table with a. Vertla'ny dlfect'y `inward ,fiom the base? am? I loaf of bread in dotted lnesthereon; refer to the left of the machine as shown 1n Fig- Figure 3 is .a diagrammatic .topor .plan Viewto me. Y2 or the .feed .end 'ofthe machine 'as 'me show the angle .of incidence 4of the multiple pulfmntOf the madame arfld 't9 the mgm 'of me leys er drums -eut with the taper er the machme as Shown m Sam-Figure' 2 asthe dis" 2r* i Ycharge or rear `end of the mach-ine. For conexagg'emped and'onfumng' #he bosses'atd tubular Venience I also refer to the length of the maalms Whm'h @my me spaemg mchmlsm? chine'as extending from vfront to rear and to the Figure 4 '1s' an :enlarged .sectional '.detall` 0f width of the machine as extending from left to the lower series of spacers on the line 1-of .right maremma-1 rev Flgrlre; As themultiple pulleys orV drums il I and-' :t2 5@ Flgllre'5 1S an enlarged detall emi lfleW-'Gf the extend transversely of the machine parallel` to lower Senes @f'spacers the base, it' is convenient tof reiter to themas Figure 6 is an enlargeddetailtend; View ofwone. lying in horizontal yplanesxand to the side frame of thesleeves.; fl, as extending upward vertically, `lout it is obis vious that my apparatus may be constructed with the center line of the pulleys as above described extending at some other angle to the horizontal and that in such cases'the so-called horizontal planes would be inclined to a corresponding angle.

It may accordingly be understood that by horizontal and vertical planes I refer to planes at right angles to each other. Likewise, by the term transverse axis of the machine, I refer to an axis extending at right angles to the length of the machine and parallel to the base.

The shafts 9 and I!! are not parallel to the transverse axis of the machine as in the forms of band-blade machines now in common use but are inclined to such axis at an angle of approximately five degrees. The upper pulley II has its shaft mounted in the hub 3 at a point a little to the rear of the middle line of the supporting frame I and the lower pulley I2 has its shaft revolvably mounted in the hub 4 at a point a short distance in front of the middle of said supporting frame.

The shafts 9 and III are so positioned in their respective hubs and so spaced lengthwise of the machine that the vertical planes of their axes would intersect approximately at the above described center line of the pulleys. Therefore the upper pulley is inclined forwardly at an angle of about ve degrees and the lower pulley is inclined rearwardly at the same approximate angle.

When so placed it is obvious that the distances between the centers of the upper and lower pulleys at their ends Will be somewhat greater than the distance between the centers of said pulleys at the middle thereof and in order to compensate for this variation in distance, I form the pulleys II and I2 with a somewhat larger diameter at the middle than at the outer ends and with a gradual, regular slope from the outer ends toward the middle, the pulleys being largest at the middle and smallest at the outer ends.

With pulleys approximately eighteen inches in length, a variation of approximately one-eighth of an inch will be sufcient to allow for the variation in distance separating said pulleys at their outer ends and at the middle, but it is a mere matter of mathematical calculation to determine these variations in distance for machines of various sizes and the variation required in the circumferences or diameters of the pulleys at different points can be readily calculated after the variations in distance above mentioned have been determined.

When the pulleys are sloped as above described, the blades may be adjusted and will travel laterally upon the pulleys just as easily as the blades will travel laterally upon the ordinary parallel pulleys now in use.

The tension of the blades on the pulleys may be adjusted by use of eccentric bushings of the kind heretofore in use and wellknown in the art or any other suitable means for varying the spacing of the pulleys may be utilized to bring them to a proper tension or to release the tension on them when necessary to change the lateral spacing of the blades thereon.

The blades in my apparatus are mounted upon the pulleys in Figure 8 form as shown in Figure 2 so that the natural twist of the blades in taking the Figure 8 form will have a tendency to turn the cutting portions thereof toward a line at right angles to the line of travel of the bread being fed to the machine.

It is an important part of my method and ap paratus that the angular mounting of the pulleys with reference to the transverse axis of the machine will cause the upwardly and downwardly moving portions of the blades to travel in lines which are spaced apart at their crossing point.

With pulleys having their center points spaced sixty inches apart and mounted at an angle of ve degrees tothe transverse axis of the machine and with pulleys having a diameter of eight or ten inches, the natural line of travel of the band-blade around such pulleys in Figure 8 form will cause oppositely moving portions of a given blade to travel at an approximate distance of three-eighths of an inch from each other at their crossing point. It is therefore manifest that it will take very little lateral pressure of the guides upon said blades to guide them to a distance of three-eighths of an inch apart during their cutting action.

In Figure 8 band-blade machines heretofore in use some diiculty has been experienced because when the blades are given the proper tension for successfully slicing, it has been found that there was considerable friction between the blades and the guides causing undue wear of the guides and also causing a heating of the blades which was very detrimental.

With the form of apparatus shown above, it is possible to greatly reduce the pressure of the guides upon the blades because the natural travel of the blades, instead of bringing them practically in contact at their crossing point as heretofore, will cause them to travel at a predetermined spaced distance.

It is apparent that the angle of the pulleys may be varied so as to vary the lines of travel of the blades and it is a mere matter of mathematical calculation to determine what that angle should be for pulleys of a given size, taper and spacing.

As is wellknown, the thicknesses of slices commonly desired in the United States run from three-eighths to one-half an inch, and I prefer to form my pulleys of such size and taper and to position them at such angles and such spacing as to carry the blades in the natural course of their travel at a distance of approximately sevensixteenths of an inch apart.

When so arranged no pressure will be necessary upon the blades to maintain their spacing although a slight pressure will be necessary to hold them twisted to right angles to the line of travel of the bread. When so arranged and it is desired to cut either three-eighths or half-inch slices, very little pressure of the guides will be necessary upon the blades to vary their position the sixteenth of an inch necessary to change to either three-eighths or half inch slices.

The fingers are preferably made of a thickness equal to the thickness of the spacing rings 22 or slightly less.

The tubular arms I3 and I4 are provided with longitudinal slots or channels through which a portion of the spacing rings 22 may project and the sides of the slots will act to prevent rotation of the spacing rings 22.

A lower series of similar spacing rings is mounted in the tubular arm I4. The fingers I9 project -to the rear from the lower portion of the tubular arm I3 and the fingers 20 project tothe rear from the upper portion of the tubular arm I4. The fingers thus located are spaced apart the proper distance to permit the passage of the loaves of bread and to act as guides and supports for the bread.

The hubs 5 and 6 may be rigidly united to the frame in fixed positions or they may be adjustably mounted thereon so as to permit the necesof loaves of bread.-

The spacing rings 221 are formedfwith threads- 29 upon the interior peripheries-thereof. Sleeves-- 23'are provided'with exterior threads 24 comple-- mentary to the internalthreadsyZB of the spacing rings and adaptedto thread therein. Eachsleeve 23 isprovided with a projecting neck which'y has a circular groove 2T anda circular flange 25" formedl thereon of a suitable size tov enter a recess 25 in the adjacent side of the next sleeve. The recess 25 is ofv sufcienty depth to permit the flange 26 to enter therein.

A1 thinvwasher 28formed with a split 3B'Y therein to aid in assembling, is mounted upon the neck of each sleeve 23 and secured in the .groove 21; Each` washer 28. is unitedv to the adjacent face of its corresponding spacing ring by spotwelding 28a or other suitable means andthe next adjoining spacing ring is formed with a recess 22 corresponding in size and depth to the size and thickness of the washer 28.

All the sleeves 23 areformed with square or other non-circular openings I'I" formedA therein anda rod IfI-IS- corresponding in section to the opening I'I is slidingly mounted in each series of sleeves respectively. The openings IIlv and the rod II are preferably formed square in section and the outer end of the rod` I'I projects from the end of its corresponding tubular arm so that it can be readily rotated by a socket wrench or other suitable tool.

The innermost spacing rings are rigidly unitedy to the tubular arms-in which they are mounted by set screws 22a or other suitable means and the remaining spacing rings are free to slide longitudinally of said tubular arms whenA and as driven by the threads heretofore described.

In the operation of my apparatus the spacing rings and the sleeves are threaded together in series, being brought into close contact successively with their adjacent members.

The rods I'I'I8 are then inserted in the respective series of spacing rings and sleeves, said sleevesbeing freely slidable upon the rods, and the entire assemblies are then secured in the tubular arms I3 and I44 by sliding them in and securing the innermost spacing rings by the set screws 22a.

'I'he arms I3 and I4 may then be turned so as to cause the ngers I9 to extend toward the rear horizontally and parallel and the tubular arms then secured in place by the set screws I5 and IB. rIhe blades may then be mounted uponV the pulleys with their cutting courses inserted inr the proper fingers and the blades then tightened or if desired, the blades may be put on the pulleys before the tubular arms are secured'in the frame.

When mounted as above described, the cutting courses of the blades will standv threeeighths of an inch apart and when it is desired to expand the spacing of the blades, the rods II and I8 are turned in the proper direction rotating with them the sleeves 23 and the action of the threads of the sleeves causes the spacing rings to travel outwardly from the frame, the spacing rings being held against rotation by the slots lin the tubular arms in which they are mounted.

As the threads upon the spacing rings and in the sleeves are all of uniformv pitch, the spacing rings willk necessarily move laterally away fromv their precedingspacingrings ata uniform rate and to a uniform distance so that the spacing of the fingers I9 Vwillbeuniformly expanded and the distance between the blades correspondingly increased.

For'use in the United: State slicing` machineswill not need to cut slicesthinner thanthreeeighths ofv an. inch nor ordinarily thicker than ve-eighths of an inch so thatI the spacing permitted by my apparatus isv ample tov cover the required variations in the bread slicing trade, althoughit is obvious that. all the parts may bel proportionately enlarged and the threads correspondingly increased' soi asV to afford Wider spacing, Without departing from;thespirit of' my invention.

lllikewise'r my invention may ciprocating slicing machines by forming the tu bular armsv I3 and I4] as the upper and lower cross-members ofi a reciprocating frame and:

pivoting or. otherwise securing the blades to the fingers IB-and- 20 by any of the meansin. com- L mon use.

In band-blades heretofore constructed in which blade-spacing mechanisms have been lbe applied t'o re- Y utilized, it has been necessary; to use four series of spacers two of which extendedto the rear from the front and two of which extended; to the front from the rear, because vthe spacing, mechanisms were of such size and proportions that theyv could. not be reduced suiiiciently in.

width without cuttingV down the support `essential to hold the spacing rings in proper position,

but in my apparatus with spacing rings and: sleeves having a thickness of three-eighths of an. inch, the fingers may be set to a gauge of fiveeighths of an inch and still leave the spacing rings firmly supported upon the sleeves. The washers 28 will support the sides ofthe spacing rings to which they are spot-welded and thev I do not. limit my claims to the precise formsorproportions shown in the drawings.

Itis likewise obvious that my invention is .applicable to band-blade machines in Whicha single band-blade is reeved in a plurality of loops in gure Il form upon a pair. of spacedpulleysY and my claims referring toa plurality of band-- blades mounted upon the pulleys are understood. as including a plurality ofv loops of a single bandblade. Likewise the reference in the claims to spacing means applied to the cutting courses ofy the band-blades is to be understoodv asequallyapplicable to such spacing means applied-to the cutting courses of ay single band-blade reeved about the pulleys in loops in figure 8 form as shown in my co-pending application Serial` No. 188,701.

I claim:

1. In a bread` slicing machine, a horizontal.

base with supporting frame united thereto, a. lower shaft revolvably mountedinthe. frame par-- allel with the base but at an acute. angle to the transverse axis of the machine, an oppositely in.- cllned upper shaft mounted in the frame in a.

plane parallelv to the horizontal' plane of the 75'- lower shaft and extending at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, similar revolvable blade-carrying pulleys or drums mounted upon said shafts respectively With the center point of the upper pulley and the center point of the lower pulley approximately in a single straight line parallel to the frame and at a right angle to the parallel planes of the pulleys, a plurality of band-blades mounted upon said pulleys for travel therewith and crossed in gure 8 form.

2. A structure as dened in claim 1, said shafts being mounted at an angle of approximately five degrees to the transverse axis of said machine.

3. A structure as defined in claim 1, in combination with means intermediate the pulleys for guiding the cutting courses of the blades in uniformly spaced parallel relation.

4. A structure as dened in claim 1, said shafts being mounted at an angle of approximately ve degrees to the transverse axis of said machine, in combination with means intermediate the pulleys for guiding the cutting courses of the blades in uniformly spaced parallel relation.

5. A structure as defined in claim 1, said pulleys being larger at the middle and slightly tapered from the middle toward both ends.

6. A structure as defined in claim 1, in combination with means intermediate the pulleys for guiding the cutting courses of the blades in uniformly spaced parallel relation, and means for uniformly changing the gauge 0f such guiding means.

7. A structure as defined in claim 1, in combination With means intermediate the pulleys for guiding the cutting courses of the blades in uniformly spaced parallel relation, and manually operable means for uniformly changing the gauge of such guiding means.

8. A structure as dened in claim 1, means intermediate the pulleys for guiding the cutting courses of all the blades in uniformly spaced parallel relation, said means comprising a spaced pair of tubular arms mounted in the frame, a series of internally threaded spacing rings slidably mounted in each arm, a series of externally threaded sleeves in each arm corresponding in thickness to the spacing rings, said sleeves having non-circular central bores formed therein, the external threads of the sleeves being cornplementary to and adapted to thread into the internal threads of the spacing rings, the innermost spacing ring of each series being rigidly secured to its tubular arm near the frame, a noncircular rod corresponding in section to the bores of the sleeve slidably mounted in each series of said bores With its outer end projecting beyond the outermost annular members, said rods being free to be manually turned by a Wrench or other suitable tool and when so turned, to rotate the sleeves within the spacing rings, each of said sleeves having revolvably mounted thereon at one end a washer, and having its opposite end threaded into an adjacent spacing ring, said Washer being rigidly united to the next adjacent spacing ring by spot-welding or other suitable means.

9. A spacing mechanism comprising a support, a tubular arm mounted therein, a series of internally threaded spacing rings slidably mounted in the arm, a series of externally threaded sleeves corresponding in thickness to the spacing rings, said sleeves having non-circular central bores formed therein, the external threads of the sleeves being complementary to and adapted te thread into the internal threads of the spacing rings, the innermost spacing ring being rigidly secured to the tubular arm near the support, a non-circular rod corresponding in section to the bores of the sleeves slidably mounted in said bores, said rod being free to be turned by a wrench or other suitable tool and when so turned, to rotate the sleeves Within the spacing rings each of said sleeves having revolvably mounted thereon at one end a Washer, and having its opposite end threaded into a spacing ring, said washer being rigidly united to the next adjacent spacing ring by spot-Welding or other suitable means.

10. A structure as described in claim 9, and means to secure the spacing rings against rotation With the sleeves.

11. A spacing mechanism comprising a support, a tubular arm mounted therein, a series of internally threaded spacing rings slidably mounted in the arm, a series of externally threaded sleeves corresponding in thickness to the spacing rings, said sleeves having non-circular central bores formed therein, the external threads of the sleeves being complementary to and adapted to thread into the internal threads of the spacing rings, the innermost spacing ring being rigidly secured to the tubular arm near the support, a non-circular rod corresponding in section to the bores of the sleeves slidably mounted in said bores with its outer end projecting beyond the outermost spacing ring, said rod being free to be manually turned by a Wrench or other suitable tool and when so turned, to rotate the sleeves Within the spacing rings, each of said sleeves being formed with a flanged neck on one side thereof and a corresponding recess in its opposite side, a thin washer being revolvably mounted on said neck and rigidly united to the adjacent side of the next adjoining spacing ring of the series.

12. A structure as defined in claim 11 with each of said spacing rings being formed With a recess to receive the Washer united to the next succeeding spacing ring, such recess corresponding in depth to the thickness of the washer.

13. A bread slicing machine comprising a support, a pair of spaced drums revolvably mounted thereon, a plurality of band-blades mounted upon the pulleys, upper and lower parallel slotted tubular arms mounted on the support, a series of internally threaded spacing rings slidably mounted in each of the arms with shoulders projecting through the slots, corresponding series of externally threaded sleeves corresponding in thickness to and threaded in the spacing rings, said sleeves having rectangular central bores formed therein, the innermost spacing ring being rigidly secured to the tubular arms, rectangular rods corresponding in section to the bores of the sleeves slidably mounted in said bores, said rods being free to be manually turned by a wrench or other suitable tool and when so turned, to rotate the sleeves Within the spacing rings, each of said sleeves having one end threaded into an adjacent spacing ring on one side of said washer and having said washer rigidly united to the adjacent spacing ring on its opposite side by spotwelding or other suitable means, parallel fingers severally united to the shoulders and projecting laterally from the slotted arms, and slots in the fingers respectively to receive and guide the slicing blades at the upper and lower ends of their cutting courses.

14. In a bread slicing machine, a horizontal base with supporting yframe united thereto, a lower shaft revolvably mounted in the frame parallel with the base but at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, an oppositely inclined upper shaft mounted in the frame in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the lower shaft and extending at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, similar revolvable blade-carrying pulleys or drums mounted upon said shafts respectively with the center point of the upper pulley and the center point of the lower pulley approximately in a single straight line parallel to the frame and at a right angle to the parallel planes of the pulleys, and slicing means mounted upon the pulleys having a plurality of cutting courses intermediate the pulleys for slicing the bread.

15. In a bread slicing machine, a horizontal base with Vsupporting frame united thereto, a

lower shaft revolvably mounted in the frame parallel with the base but at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, an oppositely inclined upper shaft -mounted in the frame in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the low.- er shaft and extending at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, similar revolvable blade-carrying pulleys or drums mounted upon said shafts respectively with the center point of the upper pulley and the center point of the lower pulley approximately in a single straight line parallel to` the frame and at a right angle to the parallel planes of the pulleys, a bandblade mounted upon the pulleys having a plurality of crossed cutting courses intermediate the pulleys for slicing the bread, all of said courses having their cutting edges extending toward the front or feed end of the machine.

16.'In a slicing machine, a horizontal base with supporting frame united thereto, a lower shaft revolvably mounted in the frame parallel with the base but at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, an oppositely inclined upper shaft mounted in the frame in a plane parallel to the horizontal plane of the lower shaft and extending at an acute angle to the transverse axis of the machine, similar revolvable 4blade-carrying pulleys or drums mounted upon said shafts respectively with the center point of the upper'pulley and the center point of the lower pulley approximately in a single straight line parallel to the frame and at a right angle to the parallel planes of the pulleys, slicing means comprising a blade mounted upon the pulleys having a plurality of crossed cutting courses intermediate the pulleys, in combination with means for uniformly adjusting the spacing of said cutting Vcourses relative to each other.

17. A bread slicing machine as described in claim 14, in combination with means to support the bread while passing through the cutting courses of the slicing means.

18. A spacing mechanism as described in claim 1l, said tubular arm being slotted longitudinally and each spacing ring having a blade support united thereto and projecting outwardly through,

such slot, in combination with slicing blades unit'- spaced thereby.

19. A slicing machine as described in claim 14, in combination with uniformly adjustable spacing means arranged in two spaced series to space the cutting courses of the slicingv means intermediate the pulleys.

20. A slicing machine as described in claim 14, in combination with uniformly adjustable spacing means arranged in two spaced series to space the cutting courses of the slicing means intermediate the pulleys, said spacing means, while being adjustable to change the spacing thereof, also acting to automatically change the spacing of the slicing means upon the pulleys to correspond to the changed spacing of the spacing means.

HARRY J. CRINER. 

